


By the Firelight

by Kittyhawke56



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittyhawke56/pseuds/Kittyhawke56
Summary: Mason stumbles on a sleeping Kat by the fireside in the Warehouse livingroom.
Relationships: Female Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	By the Firelight

Flickering light spilled from the living room doorway, illuminating the dark hallway and stinging Mason’s eyes for a second before they adjusted. Footsteps slowing, he cocked his head, a familiar heartbeat catching his attention. He paused, frowning. The detective should have long been in bed and asleep, and he wondered why she was in the living room alone. 

There were times she couldn’t sleep, of course. Mason was familiar with the frequency Kat woke from a nightmare, unable to go back to sleep. There were none of the signs he knew to look for, however. None of the sweat-soaked stench of adrenalin, her heartbeat was calm and even, as was her breathing. 

If he had to guess, he would have said- Yes; as he came around the edge of the high backed chair she curled in, he found her fast asleep. She must have been reading by the firelight if the book in her lap was anything to go on.

The peace of the scene made Mason pause. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Kat like this, so still and serene, face relaxed. She was always moving, laughing; every thought she had flitted over her face if you knew where to look. It was as if there were too much life crammed into her small frame, and it had to escape, or she would explode. She wasn’t loud, but her presence took up more space than it should have. A kind of vitality surrounded her, a draw even he could not fight. 

She should have been exhausting.

She was not, though. Somehow, when they were alone, she took the peace he craved and wrapped it about herself like a cloak, then carved out a place for him as well. 

There was a bit of that peace here now, the edges of his hyper senses dulled by the slow, steady rhythm of her heart, the gentle sound of her breath. He’d been more aware of it lately, and he kept finding himself seeking her out. 

This was new territory for him, and Mason wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to explore it, yet he couldn’t stay away. 

Damn the woman.

Reaching out, he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. She shifted slightly, pulling away from his touch, eyes sliding open a crack, then flying open as she sat bolt upright with a start. 

“Wha-” she blinked owlishly around the room. Mason didn’t even try to keep the smirk off his face, amused at her evident confusion. 

Slowly, she swung her legs off the chair arm, wincing as she set her feet on the floor. The book slipped from her lap to land softly on the rug. She reached for his proffered hand to pull herself to her feet but stopped to let out a huge, face splitting yawn. The following stretch nearly had her following the book to the floor. 

Mason cocked an eyebrow at her, “You should be in bed.”

Nodding, she grabbed at his hand, pulling herself up. She wobbled, and he caught her around the waist to stop her toppling over. Instead, she let herself fall forward to faceplant into his chest.

He chuckled, “I’m not carrying you.” 

“I wouldn’t ask you too,” her voice was muffled in the fabric of his shirt, but he could still hear her answering smile, “I remember what happened last time.”

Memories of slinging her over his shoulder flashed through his mind for a second, and he chuckled again. 

Kat surprised him then by lifting her head and pressing a sleepy, lazy kiss to his lips. He reacted instantly, pulling her hips closer, letting one hand slide from her hips up her back to press her more fully against himself. Her arms came up and around his neck, one of her hands winding gently into his hair. He reveled in the kiss, the feel of her body pressed to his, her soft moan when he moved from her mouth down to her throat. 

It was glorious for several long moments. Then she yawned again, wide enough her jaw popped this time. She buried her face in his shoulder, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. 

Her “sorry” came out muffled against his shoulder, and he let out an amused huff, then pushed away from her.

“Go to bed, Kat.”

She peered up at him, eyes still sleepy despite her racing pulse. Mason had to resist stooping to capture her lips again. Instead, he gently turned her around by the shoulders and gave her a shove toward the door. 

As she walked out the door, he had a sudden, mad thought to go after her, to join her in her bed, to curl himself around her as she slept, to let her peace wash over him. Frowning the idea away, he plunged his hand into a pocket, fishing for his pack of cigarettes. 

By the time he retrieved them, Kat was gone.


End file.
